Automating supplier FTP/EDI imports: the practical guide

For a distributor, product data arrives from dozens of suppliers in just as many different formats: Excel, CSV, XML, EDIFACT, PRICAT… Automating these supplier imports isn’t a luxury — it’s essential for keeping a catalogue up to date without spending hours on it every week.

The problem with unstructured supplier data

Without automation, the process often looks like this: the supplier sends a file by email or via a portal, someone downloads it, opens Excel, reformats the columns, corrects non-compliant values, and manually imports it into the back office. And starts all over again with every catalogue update.

This process is slow, error-prone, and does not scale. With 50 suppliers updating their catalogues every month, it’s a full-time job.

FTP vs EDI: two different protocols

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP is the simplest: the supplier uploads their files (CSV, Excel, XML) to an FTP server. Your system retrieves these files at regular intervals, parses them and imports them into the PIM.

This is the solution adopted by the majority of medium-sized suppliers, although SFTP (the secure version) is becoming increasingly common.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

EDI is a structured, standardised exchange protocol (EDIFACT, ANSI X12, GS1 XML, etc.). Unlike FTP, which transfers unstructured files, EDI imposes a specific format for each type of message: product catalogue (PRICAT), orders (ORDERS), confirmations (ORDRSP), invoices (INVOIC), etc.

EDI is the standard in the retail sector and franchise networks. Major retailers often require it from their suppliers. For a retailer, receiving supplier PRICATs enables automatic catalogue updates.

How to structure an automated import workflow

1. Identify your sources— for each supplier: what format (CSV, XML, EDIFACT), what protocol (FTP, SFTP, API, email), what update frequency
2. Define your target model— what attributes are expected in your PIM? What is the reference format (units, languages, category codes)?
3. Create transformation mappings— for each supplier, a mapping rule: supplier column X → PIM attribute Y, with the necessary transformations (standardisation of units, handling of missing values, management of duplicates)
4. Define validation rules— which fields are mandatory? Which checks should be applied before accepting a product record (valid EAN, non-empty description, recognised category)?
5. Automate and schedule— FTP polling every hour or every night, triggered upon receipt of an EDI message, or via webhook if the supplier has an API
6. Monitor and alert— an import that fails silently is worse than a manual import. The system must log every import, flag rejections, and notify in the event of a critical error

Common pitfalls

• Duplicate EANs— the same EAN used by two different suppliers, or a supplier changing the EAN of an existing product. An explicit deduplication logic is required.
• Non-standardised units— one supplier sends weight in grams, another in kilograms, a third in pounds. The mapping must handle these conversions.
• Partial updates— some suppliers send only the deltas (new SKUs + changes), others send the full catalogue. The import behaviour must be configured accordingly (upsert vs. full-replace).
• SKU deletions— if a product disappears from the supplier file, should it be removed from the catalogue or simply marked as inactive? A business decision that needs to be documented.

What ProductsManager automates for you

The ProductsManager Import module natively supports FTP/SFTP feeds (configurable polling) and PRICAT EDI. For each supplier, you configure a connector with:

• Access credentials (FTP/SFTP)
• The source format (CSV, Excel, XML, EDIFACT)
• The attribute mapping table (visual interface, no coding required)
• Validation rules (required fields, expected formats)
• Scheduling (frequency, time)
• Email alerts in the event of failure or rejections exceeding a threshold

Once configured, the import runs autonomously. You can view the logs, handle exceptions, and find your catalogue updated every morning.

How much time can you save?

For a distributor with 20 active suppliers updating their catalogues monthly, automating imports typically saves 2 to 4 days’ work per month. And above all, it drastically reduces data entry errors and discrepancies between the supplier catalogue and your product database.